Hurricane Sandy

Well, I’m back! We survived the storm with little more than a glancing blow, something for which I’m very grateful. We were more than prepared, after this summer’s Derecho. M’s house is on well water, so, if the electricity goes, water is gone as well. Thankfully, we didn’t have to use much of our preparations. We lost power Monday night, and it was returned on Tuesday evening. Thankfully, we’re down in the basement, which, while mostly open, allows the bed to be right in the path of heat from the woodstove. Perfection. We’d already eaten dinner on Monday, and had the fire going. After the initial scramble to light the candles in darkness, we all pretty much just went to bed. I’m sure the extra hours of sleep did us well. Monday morning, M braved the chill outside of the blanket and rebanked the fire before I woke up (again, he’s a keeper!). I made quiche on Sunday, so I plunked the leftovers and the last of my pumpkin scones in a skillet, and filled another pot with water on the wood stove. 45 minutes later, the water was simmering and the leftovers warm, so M and I had quiche, scones, and oatmeal for breakfast.

We were lucky again, since my mother still had power, so after a few hours of reading and wearing down the iPad battery, we went to visit her and the dogs. When we finally returned to his house, we were just banking the fire when the power returned. Dinner pre-power-return was sweet potatoes and red onions wrapped in aluminum foil in the fie, with onion soup to warm on top and bread from the counter. It didn’t change much when the power returned.

As I said, we were extremely lucky with Sandy. I have friends in New Jersey whose families will not have power for at least a week, while they look out at extensive damage to their town. New York has taken over the news, with reports of nurses transporting tiny NICU infants from one hospital to the next, climbing down flights of stairs in the dark as they use a bag to hand-pump breath into their fragile, underdeveloped lungs. People swept up in floods. Trees falling into bedrooms as fathers read bedtime stories to their daughters. Its devastation swept across incredible spans. Citizens lost power in 17 different states as a direct result of the storm. 74 people are dead, and more are expected in the ruin of some New York neighborhood. Floodwaters swept children from their mothers’ arms, women watched their own mothers succumb to the frigid waters. It is a devastating tragedy.

I can only count myself extraordinarily lucky and thankful. 24 hours without power seem miniscule in comparison. But, unfortunately, we, as a country, are not exactly a stranger to these events. In all of the states affected, relief efforts are already underway. A telethon is scheduled for Friday. The long, slow healing process has begun.

About Kaity

My name is Kaity. I write about food, my dog, and life as a full-time arts admin and part-time grad student. I have a lasting devotion to lemons. I read too much as a child and now I'm trying to bring back that habit. I like to pretend that I know how to garden. I also happen to be gluten-free.